Sitting my husband, Derek, then 56, down, I gathered all my courage, finally ready to open up about my darkest fear. I knew he’d do everything he could to help – we’d been married almost 14 years and he’d been my linchpin through all life’s ups and downs. Now we were in the middle of planning a romantic Caribbean cruise to celebrate our forthcoming wedding anniversary.
Only, I was struggling to get excited because, while Derek knew I’d endlessly tried to diet and worried about my weight, he didn’t know how afraid I’d become. ‘I can’t stop overeating,’ I admitted. ‘And I’m scared it’ll kill me.’
When Derek and I had married in 2004, I’d proudly walked down the aisle in a beautiful size 12 dress, excited for our future together. At the time, I weighed 9st 7lb and felt good, as did Derek, who had a 36-inch waist.
I was a full-time carer for my daughter from a previous relationship, Laura, then 13, who had Down’s syndrome, step mum to Derek’s daughter, Kelly, 14, and my mum, Linda, 55, lived in an annexe attached to our home.
Life ticked along nicely for years. Not only was Mum a big help with Laura, but she was my best friend. In 2010, she was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer, and died a month later, leaving me distraught.
Denne historien er fra March 16, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra March 16, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
